Google Alters Android Licensing With Appeal of $5 Billion EU Fine

Mobile device manufacturers can license the Google mobile app suite separately from the Google Search App and Chrome, Senior Vice President-Platforms Ecosystems Hiroshi Lockheimer blogged Tuesday. Android partners distributing Google apps can also build “non-compatible, or forked, smartphones and tablets for the European Economic Area.” Google is appealing the European Commission’s $5 billion fine for Android anticompetitive behavior (see 1807300048).